Roar-to-Success (RTS) is assessed through an annual continuous improvement cycle in which student learning outcomes, participant feedback, and program evaluation findings are used to redesign the programming for the following year and to measure the effectiveness of those improvements. The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate the effectiveness of the RTS program in promoting student engagement, belonging, confidence, and persistence while supporting an ongoing process of evidence-based program improvement. RTS was launched during the 2025–2026 academic year as a comprehensive student success initiative designed to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and connections necessary to thrive both academically and personally. Through intentionally designed workshops facilitated by Retention Team professionals, the program addressed topics including resilience, college navigation, time management, wellness, belonging, career exploration, and practical college success skills. The program's overarching goal was to increase students' confidence, strengthen their connection to the college community, and promote persistence toward completion.
Roar to Success was created in response to the understanding that student success extends beyond academic instruction alone. Students often enter college needing support in navigating institutional systems, developing effective learning habits, building meaningful relationships, managing personal responsibilities, and understanding how their educational experiences connect to long-term career and life goals. Recognizing these needs, EMCC’s Retention Team designed the Roar to Success as a comprehensive student success initiative that intentionally integrates academic success strategies, student engagement, leadership development, wellness, career readiness, and campus connection into a year-long workshop series. The program leverages expertise from across Student Affairs Retention Teams, including Advisement, Counseling, Career and Transfer Center, Student Life and Leadership, Disability Resources and Services, Veteran Services, and Peer Leaders to provide students with practical skills that support persistence and success. 2025–2026 represented the inaugural year of the program; a comprehensive assessment was essential. Beyond determining whether students enjoyed the workshops, the Retention Team sought to understand whether participation resulted in meaningful learning and whether the program achieved its intended outcomes.
Assessment focused on determining if students experienced:
- Increased confidence navigating EMCC resources and college systems.
- Greater motivation to continue their educational journey.
- Increased commitment to remaining enrolled.
- Stronger connections with faculty, staff, and peers.
- Improved understanding of academic success strategies.
- Greater awareness of campus resources and support services.
- A stronger sense of belonging within the EMCC community.
Assessment would also provide students with opportunities to identify future workshop topics, barriers to participation, scheduling preferences, and additional resources that would better support their success. These data would provide valuable insight into both the effectiveness of the existing programming and opportunities for future program development.
The Roar to Success program utilizes a multi-level assessment model that evaluates student learning at the workshop level, measures the cumulative impact of the overall program, and uses assessment findings to drive annual program improvements. This approach ensures that assessment goes beyond measuring participation to evaluate whether students are developing the knowledge, confidence, and skills the program is intended to foster.
Throughout the 2025–2026 academic year, each Roar to Success workshop concluded with a standardized evaluation designed to assess immediate student learning and the quality of the learning experience. Every participant completed the same evaluation instrument, enabling the Retention Team to consistently measure outcomes across all workshop topics and to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
Students evaluated the following Outcomes using a four-point Likert scale (Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree):
- I found this session helpful.
- I had meaningful opportunities to connect with peers and staff.
- I feel more motivated to continue my college journey.
- As a result of this program, I feel more committed to staying in college.
Students also evaluated the overall quality of each workshop by responding to the following statements:
- This session was engaging.
- Presenters and staff were welcoming and supportive.
- The session was an appropriate length of time.
To complement the quantitative measures, each evaluation included two qualitative questions:
- How has this session impacted your journey as a student?
- Were there any topics or resources you wish had been covered in more detail?
These questions provided students an opportunity to describe, in their own words, how each workshop influenced their educational experience while identifying opportunities to strengthen future programming.
At the conclusion of the academic year, participants completed a comprehensive end-of-year assessment designed to evaluate the cumulative impact of the Roar to Success program. While individual workshop evaluations measured immediate learning, the annual assessment examined how participation influenced broader student success outcomes over time.
The end-of-year assessment measured students' perceptions regarding:
- Confidence navigating EMCC resources.
- Clarity regarding educational and career planning.
- Sense of belonging at EMCC.
- Likelihood of returning the following semester.
- Most valuable workshop topics.
- Desired future workshop topics.
- Preferred workshop scheduling.
- Barriers that prevented participation.
- Motivation to attend future Roar to Success events.
Together, the workshop evaluations and annual assessment provided complementary perspectives on student learning and program effectiveness. Workshop evaluations measured immediate learning and engagement after each session, while the annual survey assessed the program's overall contribution to students' confidence, persistence, and connection to the college.
Assessment findings from the inaugural 2025–2026 Roar to Success program demonstrated that the initiative successfully achieved its primary objective of helping students build confidence, strengthen campus connections, and develop practical skills that support academic persistence and long-term success. Results from both workshop evaluations and the end-of-year assessment indicate that students perceived the program as highly valuable and experienced meaningful learning aligned with the program's intended outcomes. Across workshop evaluations, students consistently rated the sessions positively, reporting that they were helpful, engaging, appropriately paced, and facilitated by welcoming and supportive presenters. Students also indicated that participation increased their motivation to continue their educational journey, strengthened their commitment to remaining enrolled, and created meaningful opportunities to connect with faculty, staff, and peers. The end-of-year assessment reinforced these findings. Students reported increased confidence in navigating EMCC resources, greater clarity about their educational and career goals, a stronger sense of belonging at the college, and a greater likelihood of returning the following semester. Students also identified the program's workshops on goal setting, study skills, college navigation, belonging, and career preparation as particularly valuable to their educational journey. Collectively, the assessment findings demonstrate that Roar to Success effectively supported multiple dimensions of student success, including academic confidence, campus engagement, persistence, and personal development.
Students frequently described increased confidence in understanding college systems and utilizing institutional resources. One student shared, "It helped me gain an understanding of how advisement and enrollment work." Another explained, "It cleared up a few misconceptions I had about enrolling for classes next semester." A third student wrote, "Now I feel more confident about speaking with my advisor." These comments demonstrate that students not only learned how to navigate college systems but also developed greater confidence in utilizing available support services.
Students consistently reported that the workshops strengthened their academic success strategies, particularly in goal setting and time management. Representative comments included:
- "It helped me realize that I had a lot more work to do to reach my goals and what I needed to do so that I could achieve it."
- "This session has impacted my journey as a student by helping me manage my time."
- "Having the knowledge of how many minutes we have in a day is helpful."
Students also recognized the broader value of intentional planning. One participant reflected, "I believe the topics discussed are important for every college student. It was a good reminder of where my priorities should stand and how much I should value my time. Setting goals and making plans are a good way to stay on track." These responses demonstrate that students were able to apply practical strategies that support both immediate academic success and the achievement of long-term goals.
Building a sense of belonging was one of the primary objectives of Roar to Success, and student feedback demonstrated meaningful progress toward this outcome. Students described becoming more comfortable engaging with the campus community while increasing their awareness of available support services. Representative comments included:
- "It will make me want to socialize more and get the help I need."
- "It has allowed me to see all the resources that I have to be successful."
- "It provided many resources and information to be successful."
These reflections suggest that the program successfully strengthened students' sense of connection and increased their awareness of the support network available to them throughout their educational journey.
Students also described increased confidence regarding career exploration and long-term planning. Representative comments included:
- "This really helped me realize what I value and want to take into my work."
- "It helped me have a clearer view of what I want."
- "It helped me open my eyes more to opportunities that are around me."
These responses demonstrate that the workshops supported students beyond immediate academic success by encouraging intentional career exploration and future planning.
Perhaps the most significant finding involved students' increased motivation and commitment to continuing their educational journey. One student reflected, "I feel more inclined to continue my academic journey, which I was admittedly feeling concerned about." Another shared, "It helped me get my footing more." These comments illustrate that the program not only provided information but also increased students' confidence and commitment to persisting toward their educational goals.
The assessment process extended beyond measuring program effectiveness by intentionally using student feedback to improve the next iteration of Roar to Success. Analysis of workshop evaluations and the end-of-year assessment identified recurring requests for additional programming focused on financial literacy, internships, networking, career preparation, resilience, wellness, and practical life skills. Students also indicated that scheduling conflicts and limited awareness of the program were primary barriers to participation.
The Roar to Success Continuous Assessment and Program Improvement Plan documents the process for continuously assessing and strengthening EMCC's Roar to Success (RTS) student success initiative. During the inaugural 2025–2026 academic year, students participated in standardized workshop evaluations and a comprehensive end-of-year assessment measuring student engagement, confidence, sense of belonging, commitment to persistence, and overall program effectiveness. Quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrated that the program positively influenced students' educational experiences while identifying opportunities to enhance future programming. Student feedback directly informed the redesign of the 2026–2027 Roar to Success curriculum by expanding workshops on resilience, financial literacy, wellness, college navigation, career readiness, networking, self-advocacy, and belonging. The redesigned program will be assessed using the same evaluation instruments implemented during the inaugural year, allowing the department to compare outcomes across assessment cycles and evaluate the effectiveness of the enhancements. This process intentionally closes the initial assessment loop while establishing the next cycle of continuous improvement. By integrating student learning assessment, student voice, and evidence-based decision-making into annual program planning, Roar to Success demonstrates EMCC's commitment to continuously improving student engagement, persistence, and success through a responsive and data-informed student success initiative.